Count On Me
by gemsofformenos
Summary: Acxa has locked herself up in her room. She feels, that changing sides doesn't has changed her situation and she's tired of all the accusing looks and all the distrust she's receiving from some parts of the crew, but Veronica turns out to be stubborn about accepting Acxa's way to deal with the situation. She offers her support.


**Count On Me**

Acxa hates to feel like that. She hates it, when this uncomfortable guts-knotting feeling comes to her. It gives her always doubts about her chosen way. She knows it's not true, but it doesn't change the fact, that it makes her feel small, weak and insufficient. The cold looks and the little knifes and edges within the words of some crew members, Acxa can't see the difference between the time, when she had fought for the Galran Empire and her time now here on the Atlas. She seems to be an outsider no matter where she is.

The Galra had manage to keep a straight face at the trainings ground. Acxa had resist to punch the smug smile out of the faces of the soldiers, as they had chosen dirty tricks during the sparring against her. She had withstood the urge to give them more than just a few bruises for their spoiled behavior. It has been a short triumph, as she had send them all to the ground by using the same dirty cheats during the sparring lessons, because she has only earned more loathing and accusations for it. They only had stopped, because Veronica had recognized their bad games on her. She had left the trainings place without a word, as the woman had asked her, what they have done. Acxa had to do so. She had felt her mask slipping and she doesn't want to give them more ammunition, which they could use against her.

The Galra had barely managed to reach her quarter in time. She had locked her door behind her and has stormed to her bed to throw herself upon it. She hates it to be weak, but she can't stop her tears from falling. She misses her friends, no matter, what they have done wrong. She misses their backup and understanding. She is alone again. Acxa is used to handle things on her own, but she misses these little islands of support so much. She wrapped her arms around her legs as she pulled her knees to her chin and keeps on weeping.

Maybe it was a mistake to join Voltron.

Maybe she should have tried to fix all the damage she had done on her own.

She seems to be left alone with this mess, anyway.

The buzzer let her sobs die for a moment, but she ignores the repeating sound. She turns herself around on her bed and places a pillow over her head, but whoever is standing outside of the door, he or she keeps on using the buzzer of her quarter. Eventually Acxa gets up and wipe away the tears. She checks her reflection in a mirror and releases a sigh. At least the last years have taught her to conceal her feelings, if necessary.

Veronica takes a shocked gasp, as Acxa opens her door. The Galra tries hard to keep up a straight face, but she notice the faint red hue in her eyes and also this glossy and sad glitter in them, which tells her how hard this incident has hit her. It makes her own anger about these dimwits bubbling up, again.

„May I come in?"

Acxa shrugs shoulders, but the tall woman gave Veronica a free way in so she takes this an an offer. She enters the quarter and stopped in the middle of the room. Acxa closes the door, but keep standing beside of it, crossing her arms before her chest. Veronica feels the observant look resting on her. The Galra doesn't offers her a seat or seems to plan to ask her, why she came over, but the human decides to ignore this behavior. Instead she starts to scan the room closer. It gives her stomach another unpleasant punch, because she can't find any personal belongings in it. No photo, no decoration, nothing, which would give this quarter a personal touch.

„Why are you here?"

A warm smile comes to Veronica's lips. She turns to Acxa and nods at her couch with a questioning look. The Gala hesitates, but finally she sighs and walks to it to take place, offering Veronica a seat beside her.

„You've done nothing wrong, Acxa."

The scanning look of the Galra was resting on her.

„I know."

It should have sound emotionless, but Veronica notices the slight trembling in her voice and the shadow, which was rushing over Acxa's face. She feel, that this hidden sadness was stinging in her soul.

„I'm sorry, that these idiots have done this to you."

Acxa's look remains stoic.

„You don't have to, it wasn't your fault."

Veronica noticed, that the eyes of the Galra seems to get wetter.

„That's right, but it hurts me to see them doing such things to you."

Acxa loses her straight face for a moment. These honest words have caught her off guard. Veronica's face looked hurt, as she had said these words to her and this was a surprise, but she returned quickly to her former behavior.

„No need to feel hurt, this is my problem, not yours."

She turns her head away from Veronica, because the sudden sadness in her eyes left a bitter taste in Acxa's mouth. An awkward quiet is laying between them and it grows with every further second. Finally Veronica decides to throw some of her cautions away. She takes Acxa's hands and squeezed it a bit, while the Galra's eyes widen in surprise.

"It is. You're my comrade here now. You've been through so many pain and misery to be here. You've given up your old life and friends to be here, so you shouldn't have to fight on this front, too."

Axca bites her lip and pulls her hands out of Veronica's.

"Don't worry, I always had to fight for myself. I'm used to do so."

The bitter words were slipped out of her moth faster than she could suppress them. Acxa blushes in shame and anger and starts to stand up. She sees the eyes of the human in front of her widen in shock and the deep cut this bitter truth is leaving in Veronica's soul. She was about to walk away from the couch, when she gets turn around. She freezes in motion, as Veronica's arms closes around her. The woman sobs near her ear, as she pulls the Galra close to her.

"But I'm not used to stand and watch such actions! This is not right!"

Acxa's mouth stands agape and she stares at Veronica, who is still holding her tight. Finally the woman faces her with a determent look.

"This has to stop! Here and now! And we will make it stop! You don't have to face them alone, Acxa. Not all of them are as stupid as these dimwits you've met. You're not alone here anymore."

Acxa notices a smile growing on Veronica's lips.

"You'll make some friends in no time, believe me. It seems, that you've handled tasks much more difficult than this."

Acxa feels her cheeks blushing again. There's an honesty and confident in Veronica's words, which lights a spark in her.

"It's easy for you to believe it. You have friends and family here."

The Galra can't stop her cheeks from taking a deeper red hue. This moment of weakness was embarrassing, but she feels, like she has reached a dead end.

"I don't even know where I should start to search."

Her eyes faces the ones of Veronica. A slight gasp of surprise escapes her, as the smile of the woman in front of her grew.

"Then start with me."

Acxa's eyes shoot wide and she takes a step back from Veronica, who looks determent at her, but Acxa notice the nervousness in her voice. The human releases a slightly stressed chuckle, as the Galra only keeps staring at her.

"I would love to know you better, Acxa. I know we only have talked a little since you joined us, but I like you. I want to help you to feel home and welcomed here, guess why I followed you to your quarter."

She takes a small step towards Acxa and after a moment of hesitation she places a hand supportively on the Galra's shoulder.

"I have no doubt, that you could handle all this on your own, but you don't have to. You can always talk to me. Anytime and about anything you want."

Now it is the human, who is blushing a bit.

"You seem to be a nice person, in my opinion and I don't want to push you it is..."

Veronica waves her hand a bit.

"I don't know, just take your time and consider it, okay? If I can help you to feel a bit more home here, I hope you would let me know it."

The human rubs her hands nervous at her trouser and smiles a little shy at the still staring Galra. Acxa nods at her with open mouth and Veronica leaves her quarter with a nervous smile on her lips. It takes Acxa few ticks until she rushes out of her quarter, too. She sees Veronica reaching a corner as she enters the corridor where her quarter is located.

"I miss my regular training with Zethrid and Ezor."

Her call makes Veronica stop and turn around. Acxa feels her heart beating loud in her ears. She isn't sure, why she has started with this fact, but she has. She watches Veronica's surprised face and she feels this cold and hot tickle crawling up and down her spine. The human keeps focused on her… and slowly a beaming smile grows on the woman's face. Veronica walks back to her and nods.

"I can imagine that. Do you want to talk about it? Maybe we can train similar together. I'm pretty good with the blaster as well."

A proud smirk was around Veronica's lips, but more important for Acxa is the honest joy in the woman's eyes. It transforms the former unpleasant crawling feeling into a warm and comforting tickle.

"You would do this for me?"

Acxa cruses herself slightly for the shaky tone in her voice, but Veronica's smile pushes this feeling of weakness aside. The woman in front of the Galra seems to ignore it completely.

"Of cause I would. As I said, you can count on me, Acxa."

The Galra feels her lips curving up and a warm feeling starts to conquer her whole body as she recognizes the pure joy in Veronica's eyes, created by her simple smile.

For the first time since her arrival she doesn't feel lost and lonely anymore.

For the first time she starts to believe, that she could feel like home here one day.


End file.
